o 

I 

CJL 


IRLF 


THE  HIGH- SCHOOL 
LIBRARY 


BY 

GILBERT  O.  WARD 


PREPRINT  OF 

MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 
CHAPTER  VII 


American  Itfcrav?  association  Jpuijitsinnff  iSoaro 

78  E.  WASHINGTON  ST.,  CHICAGO 
1915 


A.L.A.  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY..^?:* 


Types  of  Chapters  and  Authors 

Libraries 

I.  "American  Library  History,"  ME.  BOLTON.    Printed. 

II.  "Library  of  Congress,"  MR.  BISHOP.    Printed. 

III.  "The  State  Library,"  MR.  WYER.    Printed. 

IV.  "The  College  and  University  Library,"  MR.  WYER. 

Printed. 
V.    "Proprietary  and  Mercantile  Libraries,"  MR.  BOLTON. 

Printed. 

VI.     "The  Free  Public  Library,"  Miss  LORD.    Printed. 
VII.    "The  High-School  Library,"  MR.  WARD.    Printed. 
VIII.    "Special  Libraries,"  R.  H.  JOHNSTON.    Nearly  ready. 

Organization 

and  Administration 

IX.  "Library  Legislation,"  MR.  YUST.    Printed. 

X.  "Library  Architecture,"  MR.  EASTMAN.    Printed. 

XI.  "Fixtures,  Furniture,  Fittings,"  Miss  EASTMAN. 

XII.  "Administration,"  DR.  BOSTWICK.    Printed. 

XIII.  "Training  for  Librarianship,"  Miss  PLUMMER.    Printed. 

XIV.  "Library  Service,"  DR.  HILL.    Printed. 

XV.    "Branch  Libraries  and  Other  Distributing  Agencies," 

Miss  EASTMAN.    Printed. 

XVI.    "Book  Selection,"  Miss  BASCOM.    Printed. 
XVII.    "Order  and  Accession  Department,"   MR.  HOPPER. 

Printed. 

XVIII.    "Classification,"  Miss  BACON.    In  hands  of  Committee. 
XIX.    "Catalog."    Unassigned. 
XX.    "Shelf  Department,"  Miss  RATHBONE.    Printed. 
XXI.    "Loan  Work,"  MR.  VITZ.    Printed. 
XXII.    "Reference  Department,"  DR.  RICHARDSON.    Printed, 

XXIII.  "Government  Documents,"  MR.  WYER.    Printed. 

XXIV.  "Bibliography,"  Miss  MUDGE. 

XXV.    "Pamphlets,  Clippings,  Maps,  Music,  Prints."    Unas- 

signed. 
XXVI.    "Bookbinding,"  MR.  A.  L.  BAILEY.    Printed. 

Special  Forms 
of  Work 

XXVII.  "Library  Commissions  and  State  Library  Extension,  or 

State  Aid  and  State  Agencies,"  MR.  WYNKOOP. 
Printed. 

XXVIII.  "The  Public  Library  and  the  Public  Schools,"  W.  H. 

KERR. 

XXIX.    "Library  Work  with  Children,"  Miss  OLCOTT.    Printed. 
XXX.    "Library  Work  with  the  Blind,"  MRS.  DELFINO.    Well 

advanced. 
XXXI.    "Museums,  Lectures,  Art  Galleries,  and  Libraries," 

MR.  RAE.    Now  in  hand. 
XXXII.    "Library  Printing,"  MR.  WALTER.    Printed. 


VII 
THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY 

GILBERT  0    WARD 
Cleveland  Public  Library 

Present  position. — Libraries  in  high  schools  are  not  new, 
but  a  widespread  change  in  teaching  methods  in  recent  years 
has  brought  them  into  increased  importance.  This  change  has 
called  upon  the  pupil  to  do  work  in  the  laboratory  instead  of 
watching  demonstrations  by  a  teacher,  and  to  do  collateral 
and  supplementary  reading  in  preparing  for  recitations  instead 
of  depending  more  or  less  exclusively  upon  prescribed  textbooks. 
In  proportion  as  the  change  has  affected  individual  schools, 
especially  in  the  departments  of  English  and  history,  the  library 
work  of  the  students  has  been  increased. 

Public  libraries  have  long  served  high-school  teachers  and 
students  in  their  increasing  demands  with  varying  degrees  of 
mutual  satisfaction.  But  schools  in  which  library  work  has 
become  highly  developed  have  found  the  ordinary  forms  of 
public-library  service  inadequate  to  the  new  needs;  and 
although  in  many  cases,  for  one  reason  or  another,  it  will  doubt- 
less continue  to  be  advisable  or  expedient  for  an  outside  library 
to  act  as  substitute  for  a  library  in  the  school  building,  it  is 
nevertheless  increasingly  recognized  that,  in  the  words  of  a 
state  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  "No  really  good 
high  school  is  possible  without  at  least  a  fair  library  equip- 
ment."1 This  equipment  may  be  administered  by  the  school 
or  by  the  public  library.  In  the  very  small  school  it  may  mean 
a  few  picked  books  bought  or  borrowed  by  the  school,  kept  in 
a  classroom,  and  cared  for  by  a  teacher.  But  in  schools  large 

1 R.  J.  Aley,  Books  and  high-school  pupils.  (In  National  Education 
Association  Proceedings,  1909.) 


2  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

enough  for  their  departments  to  be  differentiated,  it  implies 
a  well-equipped,  adequate  room  with  several  thousand  volumes, 
and  a  trained  librarian  devoting  full  time  to  library  work. 

The  present  chapter  is  written  with  special  regard  to  the 
latter  type  of  library  and  with  emphasis  on  those  features  of 
practice  which  distinguish  high-school  from  other  library  work. 

Function. — In  its  relations  to  the  school,  the  high-school 
library  corresponds  in  a  general  way  to  the  college  library 
rather  than  to  the  public  library.  Its  first  purpose  is  educa- 
tional; its  readers  are  chiefly  or  solely  teachers  and  students. 
It  differs  from  the  normal-school  library  in  the  lack  of  profes- 
sional ami  and  in  the  greater  immaturity  of  its  student  readers. 
Its  general  functions  are  to  supply  books  for  class  work  and  for 
cultural  reading,  and  to  impart  a  working  knowledge  of  the 
use  of  books  and  libraries.  Some  specific  duties  are:  co- 
operating with  teachers  in  preparing  and  supervising  class 
library  work,  guiding  students'  reading,  preserving  school  ana, 
and  acting  as  agent  between  public  library  and  high  school. 

The  first  purpose  of  the  library  is  for  reference  and  reading; 
the  occasional  practice  of  unloading  superfluous  or  undesirable 
students  from  classrooms  upon  the  library  makes  the  librarian's 
task  of  discipline  much  harder,  hinders  the  library's  legitimate 
work,  and  is  wholly  bad. 

Room. — The  library  should  be  in  an  accessible,  central 
situation,  away  from  all  noise. 

In  size  it  should  be  proportionate  to  the  size  of  the  school. 
There  is  no  formula  to  express  this  proportion,  but  it  has  been 
found  in  two  actual  cases  that  a  school  with  an  enrolment  of 
about  1,400  often  sends  60  or  65  pupils  to  the  library  for  library 
work,  for  a  full-time  single  period.  Both  of  these  schools, 
one  technical  and  the  other  academic,  are  situated  in  a  large 
city  with  excellent  public-library  facilities. 

The  equipment  required  is  of  much  the  same  kind  as  that 
in  a  public  library  of  equal  size.  Shelving  should  be  of  the  wall 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  3 

type  as  far  as  possible,  to  permit  of  easy  supervision.  Tables 
accommodating  not  more  than  six  or  eight  readers  are  prefer- 
able to  those  of  larger  size  and  should  be  broad  enough  for 
comfortable  reference  work.  Important  items  of  equipment 
which  should  not  be  overlooked  are  noiseless  floor  covering, 
closet  room  for  supplies  and  new  books,  librarian's  locker, 
wash  basin  with  running  water,  magazine  rack,  vertical  file, 
bulletin  boards,  and  typewriter  with  card-cataloging  attach- 
ment. A  glass  show  case  is  useful  for  exhibition  purposes. 

Library  funds. — The  high-school  library  may  derive  its 
support  from  one  or  several  of  a  number  of  sources.  In  many 
states,  the  law  provides  for  the  establishment  or  aid  of  school 
libraries.  In  the  most  progressive  cities  which  administer 
their  high-school  libraries  according  to  modern  ideas  there  is 
an  annual  appropriation  by  the  city.  In  any  high  school,  the 
library  should  be  represented  in  the  budget  on  the  same  foot- 
ing as  other  departments  and  the  appropriation  granted  by  the 
school  board  should  be  on  this  basis.  When  the  public  library 
contributes,  its  share  is  likely  to  take  the  shape  of  a  quota  for 
books;  in  such  cases  it  also  usually  pays  the  salary  of  the 
librarian.  In  starting  a  new  library,  or  in  purchasing  pictures, 
statuary,  or  other  equipment  which  is  ornamental  rather  than 
essential,  it  may  be  undesirable  or  impossible  to  obtain  or  utilize 
a  regular  appropriation.  In  such  cases  money  may  be  raised 
from  voluntary  contributions,  proceeds  of  entertainments, 
fines,  etc.  The  plan,  however,  of  relying  regularly  on  such 
resources,  although  it  may  stimulate  a  sense  of  proprietorship 
in  the  school  library,  discriminates  in  favor  of  wealthy  student 
bodies,  is  unfavorable  to  steady  and  consistent  growth,  and,  by 
making  a  distinction  between  the  position  of  the  library  and 
that  of  other  departments,  invites  neglect  from  an  indifferent 
school  board.  It  is  no  more  naturally  appropriate  for  the  high- 
school  library  to  depend  on  such  means  than  it  is  for  the  high- 
school  laboratory  or  for  a  public  library  to  be  so  dependent. 


4  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

To  insure  continuous,  consistently  high  efficiency,  the  high- 
school  library,  like  any  other  active  library,  requires,  whatever 
the  source  of  its  income,  a  regular  definite  appropriation  avail- 
able for  spending  as  needed.  When  the  support  of  a  high- 
school  library  is  to  be  shared  between  school  board  and  library 
board,  a  matter  for  consideration  in  planning  the  division  of 
expense  is  whether  the  school  board  is  willing  or  able  to  furnish 
a  regular,  readily  available  income  for  books. 

Book  selection. — High-school  students  range  in  age  from 
fourteen  to  eighteen  years.  First-year  students  will  read  many 
of  the  books  read  by  the  students  of  upper  grammar  grades; 
fourth-year  students  can  use  many  of  the  books  suitable  for  a 
college  Freshman.  Books  for  student  use  must  therefore  be 
chosen,  not  only  with  reference  to  their  general  suitability  for 
high-school  use,  but  with  particular  regard  to  the  different 
ages  of  students. 

Among  books  used  for  reference,  many  excellent  standard 
works,  scholarly  textbooks,  works  of  literary  criticism  and  the 
like,  some  of  which  find  their  way  into  high-school  book-lists 
and  textbook  bibliographies,  are  too  detailed  or  difficult  for 
high-school  use.  Among  books  for  general  reading,  much 
fiction,  travel,  and  biography,  most  poetry,  and  almost  all 
essays  require  for  their  appreciation  a  mental  background 
which  even  Seniors  in  high  school  can  rarely  possess. 

Teachers'  recommendations  are  often  of  great  help  in  select- 
ing books  for  special  reference  and  study,  but  of  much  less  help 
in  choosing  books  for  general  reading.  They  should  be  wel- 
comed, but  must  sometimes  be  followed  with  discrimination. 

Reference  books. — Many  of  the  general  reference  books  found 
in  a  well-equipped  public  library  are  useful  in  high-school  work. 
Particular  mention  may  be  made  of  encyclopedias,  unabridged 
dictionary,  atlas,  biographical  dictionaries,  newspaper  almanacs, 
yearbooks,  books  of  quotations,  collections  of  prose  and  poetry, 
debaters'  handbooks,  etc. 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  5 

Some  important  types  of  books  of  a  more  special  nature  are 
textbooks  (especially  in  the  sciences  and  useful  arts),  historical 
sourcebooks,  biographies  of  literary  or  historical  persons, 
popular  works  on  the  manners  and  customs  of  important 
periods,  readers,  illustrated  popular  or  semi-popular  works 
of  many  kinds,  well-edited  editions  of  English  classics  studied, 
translations  of  foreign  classics  adaptable  to  high-school  use, 
government  publications  (e.g.,  the  farmers'  bulletins  for  agri- 
culture and  domestic  science),  and  college  and  technical-school 
catalogs. 

Books  for  special  reference  and  study  should  be  limited 
rather  closely  to  the  curriculum. 

General  reading. — Fiction  in  the  high-school  library  is  useful 
in  inducing  the  reading  habit,  in  encouraging  better  reading, 
and  for  general  inspiration.  It  must  be  carefully  selected 
with  deference  to  the  normal  tastes  and  capacity  of  the  ordinary 
high-school  student.  It  should  be  wholesome  and  should  have 
literary  value. 

Generally  speaking,  it  is  found  that  students,  especially 
the  younger  ones,  prefer  plot  to  style,  action  to  analysis,  broad 
humor  to  subtle  humor,  romantic  sentiment  to  humdrum 
experience,  and  the  familiar  to  the  foreign.  Thus  they 
prefer  Sherlock  Holmes  to  Marius  the  Epicurean,  Treasure 
Island  to  Romola,  Tom  Sawyer  to  Cranford,  To  Have  and 
to  Hold  to  Joseph  Vance,  and  The  Varmint  to  Tom  Brown  at 
Rugby. 

For  inducing  the  reading  habit,  books  must  be  direct  in 
appeal,  clear  in  style,  and  not  too  long.  For  more  advanced 
reading,  much  of  the  tested  and  better  popular  fiction  and  many 
standard  novels  and  classics  can  be  used,  including  novels  with 
historical  backgrounds.  When  possible,  at  least  one  copy  of 
a  classic  should  be  chosen  in  an  attractive  illustrated  edition. 
The  problem  novel,  the  sex  or  highly  colored  romantic  novel, 
the  conventional  school  story,  and  the  machine-made  novel  of 


6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

any  sort  are  for  differing  but  obvious  reasons  undesirable  in 
the  high-school  library. 

Biography  and  travel  offer  a  convenient  trail  away  from  the 
exclusive  pursuit  of  fiction.  As  in  the  case  of  fiction,  it  is 
necessary  to  consider  the  nature  of  a  book's  appeal,  and  how 
much  mental  background  in  the  way  of  historical  or  other 
reading  a  book  will  need  for  its  appreciation.  Poetry  in  general 
requires  to  be  "pushed"  by  a  librarian  or  teacher  who  herself 
loves  it,  and  should  be  presented  in  as  attractive  a  form  as 
possible.  Comprehensive,  general  compilations,  and  works  of 
individual  poets,  complete  in  one  volume,  are  useful  for  refer- 
ence, but  are  likely  to  be  fine  in  print,  heavy  to  handle,  bulky, 
and  unattractive.  In  many  cases,  there  are  attractive  editions 
of  "selected  works"  or  of  single  longer  poems  which  are  much 
more  agreeable  to  read,  and  often  are  quite  adequate  for  any 
probable  reference  use. 

Books  of  little  literary  value  which  should  be  represented 
for  other  reasons  are  accurate,  up-to-date,  well-illustrated 
works  (not  textbooks)  of  popular  science  and  the  useful  arts, 
including  books  on  amateur  work  of  different  kinds. 

Younger  students  in  general  will  enjoy  many  of  the  books 
which  are  read  by  the  older  children  in  the  children's  room  of 
a  public  library. 

Magazines. — As  in  the  case  of  books,  magazines  are  selected 
principally  either  to  provide  material  for  use  in  class  work 
or  for  general  information  and  recreation.  Under  the  first  head 
are  included  magazines  on  current  events,  domestic  art,  domes- 
tic science,  and  fine  arts;  under  the  second,  the  better  general 
magazines  and  magazines  of  popular  science. 

Magazines  of  both  kinds  are  useful  as  an  aid  in  preserving 
order  when  students  have  finished  their  assigned  work  and  are 
looking  for  something  to  do  before  the  end  of  the  hour.  They 
are  also  valuable  in  schools  where  students  come  from  non- 
reading  homes  as  "bait"  to  attract  students  into  the  reading 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  7 

habit.  Their  use  must  be  watched  somewhat  in  order  that  they 
may  not  be  read  to  the  neglect  of  lessons. 

Magazine  indexes  are  needed  under  the  same  circumstances 
as  in  any  other  library,  with  this  difference:  When  the  public 
library  is  better  equipped  with  files  of  magazines,  a  magazine 
index  in  the  high-school  library  is  useful  in  noting  references 
and  making  lists  to  be  looked  up  later  in  the  public  library, 
and  in  borrowing  material  from  the  latter.  High-school 
libraries  which  cannot  afford  to  subscribe  to  a  cumulative 
magazine  index  may  be  able  to  supply  the  lack  in  part  by  pro- 
curing back  numbers  from  the  public  library. 

Pictures  and  clippings. — Pictures  are  useful  in  illustrating 
topics  discussed  in  class,  for  bulletin-board  display,  and  for 
exhibit  purposes.  A  collection  may  include  portraits  of  authors 
and  historic  characters;  pictures  of  places,  of  buildings,  of 
events  of  historic  or  literary  interest;  pictures  illustrating 
mythology,  geography,  industry,  flowers;  reproductions  of 
works  of  art;  specimens  of  design  and  ornament,  house  interiors, 
fashion  designs,  etc.  They  may  be  cheap  prints,  clippings 
from  magazines,  or  plates  from  some  expensive  work  such  as 
Foord's  Decorative  flower  studies,  which  has  been  cut  up  to 
make  it  more  available.  A  satisfactory  way  of  handling  such 
material  is  to  mount  it  on  cardboard  of  uniform  size,  about 
13^  inches  by  17  inches,  assign  a  subject-heading  to  each,  and 
file  the  pictures  vertically  in  alphabetical  order,  in  covered  boxes. 

Useful  material  on  current  events,  local  history,  and  school 
happenings  is  preserved  in  the  form  of  clippings,  which  are 
satisfactorily  handled  by  riling  them  in  large  envelopes  arranged, 
like  pictures,  alphabetically  by  subject-headings. 

Classification,  cataloging,  etc. — In  progressive  libraries 
administered  by  boards  of  education  and  therefore  not  obliged 
for  the  sake  of  economy  or  expedience  to  conform  to  public- 
library  practice,  the  following  are  some  changes  in  the  Dewey 
decimal  system  of  classification  as  commonly  applied  in  public 


8  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

libraries  which  have  proved  desirable  and  practicable:  Greek 
and  Roman  antiquities  have  been  put  with  History;  Language 
with  Literature;  Constitutional  History  with  Political  History; 
and  Travel  with  History.  English  and  American  poets  are 
frequently  thrown  into  one  alphabet  under  English  Poetry; 
plays  are  similarly  treated  under  English  Drama;  and  essays 
and  prose  miscellany  under  English  Essays.  The  result  of 
such  changes  has  been  to  increase  greatly  the  use  of  the  books 
affected. 

The  desirability  of  modifying  the  classification  depends 
much  on  the  relations  of  the  high-school  library  to  the  public 
library.  If  the  former  is  a  branch  of  the  latter,  or  a  large  pro- 
portion of  its  collection  consists  of  library  books,  differences 
in  classification  lead  to  difficulties  in  shelving,  in  transferring 
from  one  collection  to  the  other,  and  in  keeping  shelf -list  records, 
etc.;  and  the  student  has  to  learn  two  systems  of  book  arrange- 
ment— one  for  the  public  and  one  for  the  school  library. 

In  small  libraries  not  administered  by  a  trained  librarian, 
it  is  advisable  to  follow  a  simplified  form  of  the  Dewey  classi- 
fication, such  as  that  noted  in  Miss  Wilson's  Books  for  high 
schools. 

The  cataloging  needs  to  be  simple,  but  to  contain  more 
analytics  than  in  the  ordinary  public  library. 

In  shelving,  some  schools  have  found  it  practicable  and 
convenient  to  make  no  distinction  between  circulating  and 
reference  books.  The  latter  are  distinguished  merely  by  some 
mark  on  the  back  and  by  the  absence  of  a  book  pocket. 

Books  for  supplementary  reading. — High  schools  usually 
have  a  number  of  sets  of  textbooks,  readers,  etc.,  which  are  used 
for  supplementary  reading.  In  large  high  schools  these  may 
amount  to  hundreds  or  even  thousands  of  volumes  and  require 
some  attention  as  to  the  best  method  of  handling. 

When  sets  are  small  and  few,  it  is  possible  to  treat  them  as 
ordinary  duplicate  copies.  When  they  are  many  and  large,  the 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  9 

simplest  plan  is  to  arrange  them  in  alphabetical  order  by 
authors  and  titles  in  some  less  desirable  part  of  the  library, 
with  a  shelf  label  to  each  set. 

There  are  various  ways  of  charging  sets.  They  may  have 
been  prepared  for  the  shelves  by  simply  stamping  them  with 
the  school  stamp,  and  be  charged  by  debiting  so  many  copies 
to  the  teacher  on  a  memorandum  when  needed  for  class  use, 
or  by  making  a  temporary  book  card  when  a  single  copy  is  lent. 
If  sets  have  been  accessioned,  the  librarian  may  keep  a  list  of 
copies  lent  by  accession  numbers.  The  most  business-like  way 
is  to  prepare  each  copy  for  circulation  as  any  other  book  is 
prepared,  omitting  the  shelf  number  on  the  back.  Books 
needed  in  numbers  may  then  be  charged  in  sets  to  teachers,  or 
individually  to  students,  as  preferred.  By  the  latter  plan,  the 
time  of  the  teacher  is  saved  and  she  is  relieved  of  the  responsi- 
bility and  annoyance  of  keeping  a  separate  record  and  of 
recovering  lost  books,  and  the  student  is  still  held  account- 
able for  loss  or  damage. 

Loan  work.  Charging  system. — The  charging  system  must 
in  its  operation  be  reliable,  flexible,  speedy,  and  simple.  It 
must  be  flexible  because  books  must  be  lent  for  periods  of  vary- 
ing length.  Books  for  required  reading  or  study  will  go  out 
for  an  hour,  overnight,  or  for  two  or  three  days;  books  for 
general  reading,  for  perhaps  a  couple  of  weeks;  books  and  sets 
for  classroom  or  the  teachers'  use,  for  irregular  or  indefinite 
periods  or  for  the  school  term.  Teachers  may  not  be  limited 
to  a  definite  number  of  books.  The  outside  public  may  have 
to  be  accommodated.  Speed  is  required  because  many  books 
must  be  charged  and  discharged  in  the  busy  intervals  of  chang- 
ing classes.  The  system  must  be  simple  in  order  to  minimize 
the  number  of  mistakes  in  working  under  pressure.  Local  con- 
ditions will  cause  one  or  another  of  the  qualifications  mentioned 
to  appear  of  particular  importance;  for  instance,  the  larger 
the  school,  the  more  important  becomes  the  matter  of  speed. 


io  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

In  part  possibly  because  of  local  conditions,  there  is  so 
much  diversity  of  practice  among  high-school  libraries  in  their 
charging  systems  that  it  is  not  possible  to  speak  of  any  usage  as 
standard.  The  systems  of  which  the  leading  features  are 
described  below  may,  however,  be  noted  as  having  proved 
practicable  under  local  conditions. 

In  the  high-school  branch  of  the  public  library  in  one  large 
city,  a  book  pocket  and  book  card  only  are  used.  In  charging, 
the  date  of  issue  is  stamped  on  both,  and  the  borrower's  name 
and  high-school  room  number  are  added  to  the  latter.  The 
book  card  is  filed  in  the  charging  tray  by  date  of  issue.  This 
library  is  open  to,  but  not  greatly  used  by,  the  public. 

In  a  girls'  high  school,  with  an  approximate  enrolment  of 
2,500  pupils,  the  essentials  are  the  book  card  and  time  cards 
of  three  colors,  brown,  pink,  and  blue,  which  are  employed 
according  to  whether  a  book  is  lent  for  a  study  period,  for  over- 
night, or  for  two  weeks,  and  which  bear  printed  information 
to  this  effect.  In  charging  books  for  overnight  or  for  a  single 
study  period,  the  reader's  name  and  room  number  are  entered 
upon  the  book  card,  and  a  pink  or  a  brown  tune  card  is  slipped 
into  the  book  pocket.  No  dating  is  done.  If  a  book  is  needed 
for  two  or  more  study  periods,  the  librarian  writes  "5th"  or 
"6th"  on  the  brown  card  before  slipping  it  into  the  pocket. 
When  a  book  goes  out  for  two  weeks,  the  date  due  is  added  to  a 
blue  time  card  and  to  the  book  card.  Of  250  books  issued  on  a 
typical  day,  125  require  no  stamping.  Circulation  is  counted 
each  period.  The  library  is  not  open  to  the  public. 

In  the  systems  described  above,  the  absence  of  a  reader's 
card  makes  it  impossible  to  keep  a  check  on  the  number  of 
books  issued  to  a  reader.  It  is  sometimes  convenient,  however, 
to  know  what  or  how  many  books  a  reader  has  out,  and  in 
schools  where  this  is  felt  to  be  important  a  reader's  card  is 
required.  In  the  high-school  branches  of  the  public  library 
in  one  large  city,  a  file  of  readers'  cards  is  kept  adjacent  to  the 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  n 

file  of  book  cards.  Book  number  is  entered  upon  reader's  card, 
and  date  and  reader's  number  upon  book  card.  Due  date  is 
stamped  on  both  and  upon  the  book's  dating  slip.  At  over- 
crowded moments,  the  date  is  entered  on  the  dating  slip  and 
on  one  card;  both  cards  are  fastened  together  with  an  elastic 
band  and  laid  aside  for  completing  the  charge  at  leisure.  This 
system  is  felt  to  be  sufficiently  rapid  in  handling  loans  at 
crowded  times,  but  of  course  the  time  taken  in  finishing  charges 
makes  the  total  time  twice  as  great  as  in  a  one-card  system. 
The  enrolment  of  the  high  schools  in  this  city  ranges  from 
about  420  to  1,760;  the  book  collections  from  1,720  to  7,300 
volumes;  the  average  daily  circulation  in  a  busy  month  from 
32  to  132  books.  Attempts  which  have  been  made  in  some 
schools  to  have  teachers  and  students  carry  their  cards  have 
not  resulted  satisfactorily. 

The  library  in  one  high  school  of  260  pupils  uses  the  Browne 
charging  system  without  modification  for  books  drawn  for 
general  use.  For  books  lent  for  one  period,  the  borrower's 
name  is  written  beneath  the  last  charge  on  the  book  card,  and 
the  book  card  is  filed  in  a  common  pocket  with  other  one- 
period  cards.  This  library  circulates  about  75  books  a  day  and 
is  open  to  the  public. 

Guidance  of  reading. — The  greatest  privilege  and  pleasure 
which  comes  to  the  high-school  librarian  is  that  of  personally 
influencing  the  reading  of  some  particular  boy  or  girl.  In 
large  schools  with  busy  libraries  this  is  too  seldom  possible, 
but  something  can  be  done  in  helping  clubs  to  arrange  programs 
and  find  material  for  the  writing  of  papers.  Aids  to  reading 
are  lists  of  various  kinds  printed  or  duplicated  for  distribution 
or  posted  on  bulletin  boards,  or  published  in  the  school  paper. 

The  most  serious  work  of  this  sort  occurs  when  the  library 
co-operates  with  teachers  in  the  work  of  vocational  guidance. 
To  do  this  the  library  must  have  all  the  information  available 
about  local  industries;  books  and  articles  giving  reliable 


12  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

information  on  miscellaneous  occupations  and  the  qualifications 
required  to  succeed  in  them  and  describing  various  sides  of  the 
world's  work;  suggestive  biography;  some  of  the  better 
"inspirational"  books;  college  and  technical-school  catalogs; 
and  books  on  going  to  college.  Much  useful  information  may 
be  preserved  in  the  form  of  clippings.  All  this  must  be  made 
available  by  lists  and  perhaps  by  a  special  index.  The  scatter- 
ing material  on  the  subject  of  vocations  may  be  "featured" 
by  collecting  it  on  special  shelves  or  reading  racks,  keeping 
books  for  the  teacher  separate  from  those  for  the  student.  The 
success  of  the  library  in  this  work  depends  greatly  on  the  educa- 
tion, wisdom,  and  personality  of  the  librarian. 

A  very  necessary  but  less  inspiring  work  of  guidance  is  the 
supervision  of  the  pupils  in  their  regular  library  work.  In 
the  public  library,  a  patron  is  free  to  read  what  he  chooses. 
The  high-school  librarian,  however,  is  often  required  to  see  that 
her  patrons  who  have  definite  assignments  of  reading  attend 
to  their  tasks.  When  permits  are  used,  a  satisfactory  way  to 
accomplish  this  is  to  make  their  checking  an  excuse  to  visit 
each  student  in  turn,  observing  what  he  is  reading,  comparing 
it  with  any  notes  which  teachers  have  added  to  permits,  ques- 
tioning cases  of  suspiciously  irrelevant  reading,  and  making 
suggestions  as  necessary. 

Discipline. — The  principal  things  which  affect  discipline 
in  the  high-school  library  are  the  tone  of  the  school,  the  character 
of  the  librarian,  the  system  under  which  the  students  use  the 
library,  the  physical  conditions,  and  the  presence  or  absence  of 
interesting  general  reading. 

If  the  general  order  of  the  school  is  good,  equally  good  order 
is  to  be  expected  in  the  library,  although  of  an  informal  kind. 
It  is  right  to  insist  that  work  be  done  with  a  minimum  of  con- 
versation. 

If  the  librarian  shows  by  her  manner  that  she  thoroughly 
understands  her  work,  she  gains  the  respect  which  is  accorded 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  13 

to  competent  persons.  Here,  too,  enters  the  quality  of  tact. 
When  students  are  restless  and  talkative,  it  is  often  because 
they  are  having  difficulty  with  their  work,  or  sometimes  because 
of  simple  thoughtlessness.  In  any  case,  it  is  always  safe  to 
assume  that  advice  or  friendly  suggestion  is  required  rather 
than  a  reprimand.  For  this  reason  and  also  to  avoid  inter- 
rupting the  work  of  the  room,  it  is  better  to  speak  to  offenders 
privately  than  to  call  them  to  order  by  rapping  with  a  pencil 
or  speaking  across  the  room.  With  serious,  wilful  offenders, 
the  librarian  may  employ  the  resource  of  debarment  from  the 
library,  and,  in  schools  where  self-government  is  practiced,  of 
placing  the  matter  before  the  self-government  board.  The 
librarian  has  of  course  the  right  to  expect  unhesitating  support 
from  the  school  office  if  an  appeal  to  the  office  should  be 
necessary. 

Overcrowding  is  a  source  of  disorder  which  may  be  avoided 
by  arranging  with  teachers  as  to  the  number  of  pupils  that  may 
be  sent  to  the  library  from  each  classroom  or  study-hall  during 
any  period.  Confusion  is  avoided  if  students  may  enter  and 
leave  the  library  between  periods  only. 

Some  mechanical  details  which  contribute  to  good  order 
are  the  arrangement  of  furniture  so  as  to  make  easy  the  quick 
exit  and  entrance  of  numbers;  a  clear  view  from  the  desk  for 
easier  supervision;  keeping  the  room  in  physical  order,  includ- 
ing the  restoration  of  books  to  their  places;  enough  duplicate 
copies  of  books;  the  conspicuous  numbering  of  cases  and  ade- 
quate labeling  of  shelves  so  as  to  facilitate  the  quick  disposal 
of  a  crowd  at  the  desk;  and  care  and  system  in  the  checking 
up  of  permits. 

Interesting  general  reading  keeps  students  occupied  when  they 
have  finished  their  assigned  work  and  are  waiting  for  the  bell. 

Permits. — In  large  schools  it  is  usually  necessary  to  keep 
track  of  pupils  who  for  any  purpose  leave  their  rooms.  This 
is  often  done  by  means  of  permits.  Permits  are  usually  printed 


14  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

forms  filled  in  with  the  name  of  the  student,  initialed  by  the 
teacher,  and  specifying  the  time  for  which  leave  is  granted. 
The  librarian  requires  a  permit  from  each  student,  countersigns 
it,  and  returns  it  to  the  room  from  which  the  pupil  came,  to  be 
checked  by  the  teacher's  record. 

A  simpler  plan  which  has  proved  satisfactory  in  one  school 
is  for  each  student  to  have  a  permanent  library  permit,  which  is 
kept  on  file  in  his  study-hall  or  room.  This  permit  he  brings 
with  him  to  the  library  and  hands  to  the  librarian.  The 
librarian  collects  the  permits  and  returns  them  to  the  study- 
hall  teacher,  who  compares  them  with  his  records  and  re-files. 
This  plan  presupposes  that  students  ordinarily  visit  the  library 
for  a  full  period. 

Instruction  in  the  use  of  books. — Instruction  in  the  use  of 
books  and  the  library  is  given  primarily  for  its  immediate  use- 
fulness in  school  work,  and  secondarily  as  a  preparation  for  the 
use  of  the  college  library  or  of  the  public  library.  Its  impor- 
tance to  intending  teachers  who  cannot  go  to  normal  school 
or  college  may  also  be  noted. 

Book  instruction  varies  in  different  schools  from  a  single 
informal  talk  on  the  use  of  a  library  to  (rarely)  a  course  of 
twenty  or  thirty  lessons,  with  written  papers  and  credit  given. 
Results  worth  while  are  had  from  courses  of  six  or  eight  lessons, 
when  tune  can  be  saved  by  having  papers  written  outside  of 
class. 

Topics  generally  recognized  as  legitimate  matter  for  instruc- 
tion are  the  care  of  books,  the  significance  of  the  several  printed 
parts  of  a  book,  such  as  the  title-page  with  its  various  items, 
copyright  date,  preface,  table  of  contents,  and  index;  the  card 
catalog;  the  classification  and  arrangement  of  books  in  libraries; 
selected  reference  books,  including  dictionary  and  encyclopedia; 
and  magazine  indexes. 

The  topics  taught,  the  order  of  their  teaching,  and  the  pro- 
portion of  time  allotted  to  a  topic  vary  according  to  the  time 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  15 

available,  the  amount  of  previously  received  instruction  if  any, 
and  the  peculiar  necessities  of  the  situation.  The  instruction 
has  often  to  include  much  that  is  very  elementary  because  of 
the  general  lack  of  library  instruction  in  the  elementary  schools. 
The  instruction  differs  from  that  given  in  a  normal  school  in 
that  it  stops  with  the  personal  needs  of  the  student,  and  so 
in  general  disregards  such  subjects  as  library  methods,  book 
selection,  children's  literature,  etc.,  but  in  schools  which  main- 
tain training  classes  for  teachers  these  subjects  may  properly 
receive  attention. 

The  instruction  may  be  an  informal  talk,  a  lecture,  or  a 
recitation.  It  is  made  concrete  by  the  exhibition  and  examina- 
tion of  specimen  books,  sets  of  catalog  cards,  sample  sheets 
of  dictionaries,  old  numbers  of  periodical  indexes,  etc.  It 
should  always  include  a  written  or  other  practical  test  graded 
and  credited  as  regular  school  work. 

It  frequently  is  convenient  to  make  the  library  instruction 
part  of  the  English  course,  and  to  have  it  take  place  at  the  regu- 
lar hour  of  the  English  recitation.  In  some  schools  the  instruc- 
tion is  spread  through  four  years,  in  others  it  is  concentrated 
in  the  first  year.  Considering  the  generally  elementary  nature 
of  the  subject-matter,  and  the  limited  tune  usually  available 
for  the  whole  course,  it  seems  preferable  to  give  the  instruction 
early. 

To  get  good  results,  library  classes  should  not  exceed  in 
size  the  ordinary  English  or  history  class.  Library  instruction 
to  classes  of  fifty  or  more  is  to  be  deprecated.  Work  should 
always  receive  credit. 

Relations  with  the  public  library. — A  close  understanding 
between  the  public  library  and  the  high-school  library  is  desir- 
able in  order  to  avoid  competition  and  to  ascertain  what 
co-operation  is  possible  and  advisable. 

One  kind  of  co-operation  which  is  mutually  profitable  is 
in  book-buying.  Here,  the  high  school  may  leave  to  the  public 


16  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

library  the  purchase  of  many  expensive  but  not  essential  works, 
many  periodical  sets,  books  seldom  needed,  and  books  of 
ephemeral  interest  in  general.  On  the  other  hand,  the  public 
library  can  leave  to  the  high  school  the  purchase  of  many 
textbooks,  sets  for  supplementary  reading,  and  other  special 
books  of  little  interest  outside  the  school. 

The  public  library  can  aid  the  school  library  by  lending 
it  books,  magazines,  and  other  material  to  supplement  its 
resources.  It  can  lend  copies  of  a  book  to  the  school  to  meet  a 
temporary  heavy  demand.  When  the  circulation  of  a  book 
is  regulated  from  the  school  library  on  such  occasions,  it  is 
possible  to  give  much  better  service  with  an  equal  number  of 
copies. 

For  reference  work  beyond  its  scope,  the  high-school  library 
has  to  send  students  to  the  public  library.  In  such  cases,  the 
school  librarian  can  notify  the  public  librarian  of  approaching 
general  demands.  The  high-school  librarian  can  advertise  the 
public  library  by  posting  its  lists  and  notices,  and  circulating 
its  folders,  lists,  and  other  printed  matter.  She  can  actively 
promote  membership  in  the  public  library.  One  thorough- 
going method  of  doing  this  is  to  take  a  census  of  the  entering 
class,  ascertain  who  are  not  patrons  of  the  public  library,  and 
then  do  personal  missionary  work  where  necessary  to  supple- 
ment other  methods.  Useful  general  methods  are  talks  to 
students  in  connection  with  the  work  of  library  instruction, 
the  distribution  of  applications  for  membership  in  the  public 
library,  etc. 

In  high  schools  too  small  for  a  regular  librarian,  the  public 
library  may  give  advice  and  help.  Thus  in  California,  the 
county  libraries  not  only  lend  books  to  high-school  libraries, 
but  stand  ready  to  give  assistance  in  cataloging,  book  selection, 
debate  reference  work,  etc.  For  small  communities  with  little 
money  to  spend,  the  library  board  and  school  board  may 
co-operate  in  employing  one  full-time  librarian  for  both  libraries. 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  17 

High-school  branches  of  public  libraries.— In  a  number  of 
cities,  high-school  libraries  are  very  satisfactorily  operated  as 
branches  of  the  public  library,  which  shares  the  expense  of 
them  with  the  board  of  education.  In  one  state,  New  Jersey, 
the  state  education  department  permits  and  recommends  the 
administration  of  school  libraries  by  public  libraries. 

This  division  of  responsibility  and  expense  varies  in  different 
places.  The  school  furnishes  room,  light,  and  possibly  ordinary 
janitor  service.  It  may  furnish  certain  kinds  of  books  such  as 
reference  works  or  contribute  a  definite  amount  for  the  public 
library  to  spend  for  books;  the  school  board  may  appoint  the 
librarian  on  the  recommendation  of  the  public  librarian,  and 
the  public  library  supply  the  books,  etc.  A  natural  arrangement 
in  book-buying  is  for  the  school  to  purchase  all  sets  of  books 
used  for  supplementary  reading  and  books  permanently  assigned 
to  classrooms,  such  as  dictionaries.  Aside  from  these  excep- 
tions, the  arrangement  of  having  the  public  library  supply 
circulating  books  and  the  school  reference  books  is  likely  to  be 
hard  to  carry  out,  as  it  is  often  difficult  to  foresee  which  use 
a  book  will  have. 

The  advantage  of  having  the  public  library  administer  the 
high-school  library  is  that  as  the  public  library  usually  finds 
the  librarian  it  insures  close  co-operation  with  the  public 
library  and  a  librarian  with  some  degree  of  technical  skill  and 
breadth  of  education.  The  public  library  benefits  by  having 
a  representative  in  close  touch  with  the  school;  and  the  school 
benefits  for  the  converse  reason.  This  is  especially  the  fact 
when  the  librarian  attends  both  faculty  meetings  and  public- 
library  staff  meetings. 

The  chief  disadvantage  of  administration  by  the  public 
library  is  that  the  public  library  can  rarely  afford  to  pay  the 
high-school  teacher's  salary  which  the  responsibility  of  the 
position  justifies,  and  which  is  necessary  to  insure  a  librarian 
of  the  necessary  training  and  experience.  The  plan  of  having 


1 8       MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

the  school  board  appoint  the  librarian  on  the  recommendation 
of  the  public  librarian  seems  to  offer  a  satisfactory  solution  for 
this  difficulty,  if  the  librarian  is  appointed  on  the  footing  of  a 
high-school  teacher  with  the  corresponding  salary. 

The  fact  that  a  high-school  library  is  administered  as  a 
branch  of  the  public  library  does  not  imply  or  necessitate  its 
use  by  the  outside  public.  As  will  be  indicated  in  the  following 
paragraphs,  the  question  of  public  use  is  decided  from  other 
considerations. 

High-school  libraries  as  public  libraries. — It  is  sometimes 
necessary  or  advisable  for  the  high-school  library  to  serve  the 
community  as  public  library.  This  may  be  the  case,  for 
instance,  with  township  high  schools  or  high  schools  in  small 
towns.  In  localities  where  there  is  no  public  library  and  where 
the  demands  neither  of  the  public  nor  of  the  school  are  likely 
to  develop  to  such  an  extent  as  to  interfere  with  each  other,  such 
an  arrangement  may  prove  satisfactory  as  a  permanent  measure. 
In  large  or  growing  schools  and  communities,  however,  the  two 
kinds  of  work  tend  eventually  to  conflict  to  the  detriment  of 
one  or  both.  For  this  reason,  the  public  library  which  plans 
to  do  work  with  the  public  in  a  high-school  branch  should 
consider  the  possibility  of  having  ultimately  to  sacrifice  that 
work  in  part  or  entirely  as  school  demands  develop.  The 
peculiar  problem  which  confronts  a  double-duty  high-school 
library  lies  in  doing  justice  to  two  different  kinds  of  work. 

One  of  the  specific  difficulties  of  the  double-duty  library  is 
that,  as  at  present  planned,  the  high-school  library,  while 
possibly  most  conveniently  situated  for  the  school,  is  likely  to  be 
inconvenient  for  public  access  and  to  be  dependent  in  its  hours 
of  opening  on  school  hours.  When  planned  for  double  duty, 
the  high-school  library  should  have  an  entrance  from  the  out- 
side and  should  be  designed  for  heating  and  lighting  independ- 
ently of  the  rest  of  the  building  when  the  school  is  closed.  A 
location  on  the  ground  floor,  close  to  the  street,  is  desirable 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  19 

from  the  viewpoint  of  public  use,  but  is  not  necessarily  the  most 
quiet,  pleasant,  and  convenient  location  for  the  use  of  the 
school. 

Simultaneous  use  by  school  and  public  during  school  hours 
presents  several  difficulties.  Some  libraries  are  too  small  even 
for  school  use,  and  even  ordinarily  adequate  school  libraries 
are  liable  to  overcrowded  periods.  In  building  new  schools 
this  trouble  can  of  course  be  obviated  by  planning  the  library 
big  enough  to  begin  with.  Size,  however,  is  only  one  side  of 
the  question.  When  as  many  as  thirty  or  occasionally  even 
half  that  number  of  students  visit  the  library  during  a  period, 
the  time  of  one  librarian  is  easily  rilled  with  routine  work  such 
as  checking  up  permits,  charging,  discharging,  and  reserving 
books,  looking  up  reference  questions,  supervising  students' 
reading,  and  keeping  the  room  in  physical  order,  to  say  nothing 
of  incidentals  such  as  business  with  teachers,  and  other  details 
peculiar  to  the  school  side  of  the  work.  Under  such  circum- 
stances the  librarian  has  little  tune  or  thought  for  work  with  the 
outside  public.  Problems  of  order  too  are  possible  when 
patrons  of  one  kind  are  answerable  for  their  good  behavior 
to  the  school  office,  and  other  patrons  are  not.  These  difficul- 
ties can  be  overcome  by  excluding  the  public  from  the  library 
during  school  hours:  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  the 
librarian  who  is  busy  as  above  described  also  requires  time  for 
general  work  such  as  cataloging,  special  reference  work,  and 
planning  for  library  instruction,  tasks  which  cannot  be  carried 
on  subject  to  constant  interruption. 

Book  selection  presents  a  dilemma.  The  high-school 
library  guides  the  literary  taste  of  its  readers  largely  by  exclud- 
ing inferior  or  unsuitable  literature.  The  public  library  on  the 
other  hand  has  to  meet  more  varied  requirements  in  its  readers 
and  in  the  selection  of  fiction  especially  must  often  pursue  a 
policy  which  is  incompatible  with  the  more  rigid  educational 
standard  of  the  high-school  library. 


20  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Stress  has  purposely  been  laid  upon  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  utilizing  the  high-school  library  for  public  work.  These 
difficulties  are  least  serious  in  small  libraries  but  increase  as 
libraries  become  larger.  In  fairly  large  city  high  schools  the 
libraries  of  which  have  their  full,  legitimate  school  use,  the 
experience  and  opinion  of  high-school  librarians  is  that  work  with 
the  public  is  impracticable.  In  the  libraries  of  comparatively 
small  schools,  it  is  still  to  be  remembered  that  even  less  than 
in  a  public  library  are  the  number  of  users  and  amount  of 
circulation  a  dependable  index  of  the  library's  activity  and 
consequently  of  the  librarian's  leisure  for  work  with  the 
outside  public.  The  problem  in  projecting  a  high-school 
library  for  public  work  is  not  of  getting  free  books  for  the 
school  nor  free  quarters  for  the  public  library.  It  is  first  to 
understand  the  different  characters  of  high-school  and  public- 
library  work  and  then  to  foresee  the  possibilities  in  both 
school  and  community.  The  next  step  is  to  consider  whether 
the  proposition  be  possible,  expedient,  or  desirable,  and,  if 
so,  whether  it  should  be  adopted  as  a  temporary  or  as  a 
permanent  measure.  The  decision  on  these  questions  will 
naturally  affect  the  location,  size,  and  arrangement  of  the 
library. 

The  librarian. — A  new  high-school  librarian  may,  among 
numerous  possibilities,  find  herself  hi  charge  of  a  room  with 
some  unbroken  boxes  of  books  to  be  combined  and  erected  into 
a  library,  or  she  may  succeed  to  a  thoroughly  organized  plant, 
or  to  a  library  which  has  outgrown  the  powers  of  the  teachers' 
committee  which  assembled  it. 

Many  states  have  laws  or  regulations  relating  to  school 
libraries  or  affecting  them  by  providing  for  their  establishment 
or  up-keep,  regulating  their  administration,  or  prescribing 
what  books  they  may  buy.  In  many  states,  a  library  commis- 
sion or  the  state  education  department  lends  books  or  gives 
advice  or  service  to  school  libraries.  It  is  therefore  one  duty 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  21 

of  the  newly  appointed  high-school  librarian  to  ascertain  her 
legal  duties  and  privileges. 

In  new  schools,  in  addition  to  the  mechanical  routine  of 
organizing,  rules  must  be  adopted  for  the  guidance  of  pupils 
and  teachers.  Sometimes  the  library  must  be  used  while  it  is 
being  organized.  In  reorganizing  old  libraries,  lost  books  must 
be  recovered,  easy-going  library  habits  gently  reformed, 
teachers'  confidence  regained,  and  discipline  restored  among 
the  student  users  of  the  library. 

Upon  the  librarian  rests  the  responsibility  for  the  efficient 
use  and  good  order  of  the  library,  and  the  proper  condition  of 
its  records.  Upon  her  may  devolve  most  of  the  duty  of  book 
selection,  especially  in  those  parts  lying  outside  the  field  of 
any  department.  In  an  increasing  number  of  schools  she  is 
called  upon  to  give  instruction  in  the  use  of  books.  She  must 
co-operate  with  teachers  and  preserve  toward  all  of  them  a 
cordial  but  impartial  attitude. 

From  this  resume  of  the  duties  of  the  high-school  librarian, 
it  will  be  seen  that  she  is  called  on  to  exercise  the  all-round 
ability  of  the  first-rate  librarian  of  a  small  library  and  to  possess 
a  number  of  the  qualities  for  teaching  and  leading  young  people 
which  belong  to  a  good  high-school  teacher.  She  should  have 
a  library-school  training,  some  general  library  experience,  and 
the  equivalent  of  a  high-school  teacher's  education  in  college 
or  in  university.  Tact,  agreeable  presence,  interest  in  young 
people  and  in  the  work  for  its  own  sake,  and  ability  to  co-operate 
with  others  are  among  the  important  personal  qualifications. 

Just  how  large  a  school  should  be  to  warrant  a  full-time 
librarian  is  hard  to  say.  In  one  case,  an  academic  high  school 
with  an  enrolment  of  400  students,  and  a  teaching  staff  of  19, 
keeps  a  librarian  busy  42  hours  a  week.  A  technical  high  school 
in  the  same  city,  with  an  enrolment  of  1,400,  employs  a  librarian 
44  hours  a  week,  an  assistant  22  hours,  and  a  page  10  hours. 
In  neither  of  these  schools  does  the  librarian  do  cataloging,  and 


22  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

in  the  second  a  part  of  the  instruction  in  the  use  of  books  is 
carried  on  by  the  English  department.  Neither  library  does 
work  with  the  outside  public.  The  city  in  which  both  are 
situated  is  well  supplied  with  library  facilities. 

In  schools  too  small  or  too  poor  to  have  a  regular,  full-time 
librarian,  there  are  two  permissible  expedients,  either  a  teacher, 
preferably  of  English  or  history,  with  a  part  of  her  time  regu- 
larly scheduled  for  library  work,  or  a  library  assistant  shared 
with  the  public  library.  In  the  former  case,  the  teacher  should 
arrange,  if  possible,  to  take  a  course  in  library  economy  at  a 
summer  library  school,  or,  if  this  be  not  possible,  to  arrange  for 
a  course  of  all-round  practice  work  (including  experience  in  the 
children's  room)  in  a  good  public  library.  If  a  public-library 
assistant  is  chosen,  she  will  need  to  know  something  of  high 
schools  in  general,  and  to  acquaint  herself  very  thoroughly 
with  the  organization,  curriculum,  and  teaching  methods  of 
that  particular  high  school.  Either  teacher  or  librarian  should 
thoroughly  acquaint  herself  with  the  literature  relating  to 
high-school  libraries,  and  make  a  special  study  of  the  books 
and  methods  of  special  importance  in  library  work  with  high- 
school  students. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Librarians  who  desire  to  know  something  of  the  aims  and  methods 
of  the  modern  American  high  school  are  referred  to  J.  F.  Brown, 
The  American  High  School,  1909,  and  C.  H.  Johnston,  High  School 
Education,  1912.  Each  includes  a  chapter  on  the  high-school  library. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Hall,  M.  E.     Suggestive  list  of  references  on  high-school  libraries. 
New  York  Libraries,  1913,  3:273-82 
Comprehensive,  annotated,  and  classified  list. 

HISTORY  AND  STATISTICS 

Greenman,    E.    D.    Development    of    secondary    school    libraries. 
Library  Journal,  1913,  38:183-89. 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  23 

Greenman,  E.  D.    State  aid  for  public  school  libraries.    Library 

Journal,  1912,  37:310-15. 

History  and  resume,  by  states,  of  laws  relating  to  school  libraries. 
Hall,  M.  E.    Report  of  the  committee  on  high-school  libraries. 

National  Education  Association  Proceedings,  1912,  pp.  1273-81. 

Summarizes  the  results  of  an  investigation  into  libraries  of  city 

high  schools. 
New  York  Library  Association.    Report  .  .  .  .  1912.    New  York 

Libraries,  1912,  3:182-84. 

Reviews  recent  progress,  outlining  four  plans  of  general  organiza- 
tion which  have  developed. 
Sharp,   K.  L.    Libraries  in  secondary  schools.    Library  Journal, 

1895,  2o:c.  5-1 1. 

SCOPE  AND  FUNCTION 

Aley,  R.  J.    Books  and  high-school  pupils.     National  Education 
Association  Proceedings,  1909,  pp.  844-48. 

Fargo,  L.  F.     Place  of  the  library  in  high  school  education.    Educa- 
tion, 1913,33:473-77. 

Forbes,  G.  F.    Place  of  the  library  in  the  high  school.    New  York 
Libraries,  1912,  3:170-74. 

'Hall,  M.  E.    Possibilities  of  the  high  school  library.    American 
Library  Association  Proceedings,  1912,  pp.  260-66. 

Henry,  N.  E.     School  libraries.    Education,  1912,  32:474-77. 

High-school  library  problem.    School  Review,  1906,  14:762-63. 

Jones,  R.  K.    Problems  of  the  college  and  the  school  library.    Library 
Journal,  1912,  37:22-23. 

Keyes,  R.  K.    How  we  use  our  school  library.    English  Journal, 
1914,  3:86-93. 

Describes  the  use  of  the  library  of  the  Girls'  High  School,  Brook- 
lyn, N.Y. 

Library  in  the  school.    Dial,  1906,  40:73-77. 

Ward,   G.  0.    High  school  library.    New  York  State  Teachers' 
Association  Proceedings,  1911,  pp.  304-10. 

THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARIAN 

Hall,  M.  E.    What  the  librarian  may  do  for  the  high  school.    Library 
Journal,  1909,34:154-59. 


24  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Library  service  in  schools  and  qualifications  of  school  librarians. 
Library  Journal,  1914,  39:692. 

Statement  adopted  by  the  American  Library  Association  through 
its  Official  Council. 

McAndrew,  William.  The  high-school  librarian.  National  Educa- 
tion Association  Proceedings,  1910,  pp.  994-98. 

Michigan  State  Teachers'  Association.  Text  of  resolution  on  the 
status  of  the  high  school  librarian.  Public  Libraries,  1912, 
17:426. 

ORGANIZATION  AND  ADMINISTRATION 

There  is  not  at  present  (December,  1914)  any  handbook  covering 
high-school  library  practice;  but  publications  designed  for  small 
libraries  or  for  school  libraries  in  general  often  contain  adaptable 
methods.  Typical  publications  of  this  kind  are  the  Library  Hand- 
books published  by  the  American  Library  Association  Publishing 
Board,  Chicago,  the  pamphlets  on  library  methods  for  school- 
teachers occasionally  issued  by  normal  schools,  and  the  instructions 
for  the  organization  of  libraries  sometimes  published  by  state  library 
commissions,  state  education  departments,  or  similar  supervisory 
bodies.  New  York  Libraries  and  the  bulletins  of  the  state  library 
commissions  of  New  Jersey  and  Wisconsin  maintain  "question  boxes" 
and  include  practical  articles,  lists  of  books,  and  mention  of  newly 
published  lists  and  aids.  Miss  Hall's  Suggestive  list  of  references 
on  high-school  libraries,  mentioned  above,  includes  the  titles  of  many 
aids  and  practical  articles,  and  should  be  consulted  by  intending 
high-school  librarians. 
Dana,  J.  C.  Modern  American  library  economy  ....  Part  V, 

sec.  3.    Picture  collection.    H.  W.  Wilson  Co.,  White  Plains, 

N.Y.,  1910.    35  cents. 
Dana,  J.   C.,  and  McKnight,  E.  B.    Modern  American  library 

economy  ....  Part  VII,   sec.   2:    The  high   school   branch 

of  the  public  library.    H.  W.  Wilson  Co.,  White  Plains,  N.Y., 

1913.     50  cents. 

Detailed  outline  of  methods  used  in  the  Barringer  High  School, 

Newark,  N.J. 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  25 

Walter,  F.  K.    Care  of  school  libraries.    New  York  Libraries,  1911, 
2:256-60. 

See  also  the  introduction  to  Miss  Wilson's  Books  for  High 
Schools,  for  simple  methods  for  small  high  schools. 

METHODS  FOR  PROMOTING  LIBRARY  USE 

The  following  articles  mention  practical  methods  actually  tried 
by  teachers  and  librarians. 
Ashmun,  Margaret.    Library  reading  in  the  high  school.    School 

Review,  1909,  17:618-22,  701-704;    1910,  18:196-99,  270-73. 

Spirit  and  aims  of  the  work,  some  mechanical  details,  class 

methods,  personal  guidance.    By  a  teacher. 
Ball,  F.  D.    Librarian's  share  hi  vocational  guidance  through  the 

high  school  library.    New  York  Libraries,  1913,  3:272-73. 
Coult,  Margaret.    How  can  we  best  direct  the  reading  of  high  school 

pupils?    New  York  Libraries,  1912,  3:52-55. 

Methods  used  in  the  Barringer  High  School,  Newark,  N.J. 
Davis,  J.  B.    Use  of  the  library  in  vocational  guidance.    National 

Education  Association  Proceedings,  1912,  pp.  1267-72. 
Faber,  C.  M.    History  teacher's  use  of  the  library.    New  York 

Libraries,  1911,  2:228-30. 
Hall,  M.  E.    Vocational  guidance  through  the  library.    American 

Library  Association  Publishing  Board,  1914.     10  cents. 
Watterson,  H.  M.    Library  and  history  teaching  in  the  high  school. 

Public  Libraries,  1913,  18:136-38. 

Details  of  methods  used  in  the  East  High  School,  Cleveland, 

Ohio. 
Wright,  R.  H.    How  to  make  the  library  useful  to  high-school 

students.    National  Education  Association  Proceedings,  1905, 

pp.  864-67. 

READING  TASTES  OF  HIGH-SCHOOL  STUDENTS 

Statistical  studies  of  reading  done  by  high-school  students  are 
found  in  F.  J.  Baker,  Bibliography  of  Children's  Reading,  pp.  no- 
29;  Library  Journal,  1908,  33:120-34;  1912,  37:189;  New  York 
Libraries,  1912,  3:43-47;  Pedagogical  Seminary,  1899,  6:523-35; 
1912,  19:438-60;  School  Review,  1902,  10:585;  1905,  13:180-88; 


26  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

1907,  15  :  299-301.  See  also  C.  E.  Jones,  Sources  of  Interest  in  High 
School  English,  1912.  This  summarizes  the  results  of  an  investiga- 
tion by  the  author  in  seven  cities  of  New  York  state,  and  gives 
detailed  comparisons  and  tabulations  which  are  interesting  but  not 
entirely  convincing  as  to  the  real  reading  interests  of  high-school 
students.  A  good  summary  of  the  observed  facts  of  the  reading 
tastes  of  children  is  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Reading  differences  in  boys 
and  girls,  New  Jersey  Library  Bulletin,  1911,  1:9-19.  Much  the 
same  material  is  found  in  this  author's  Educational  Problems,  1911, 
2:450-92,  and  Library  Journal  article  of  April,  1908. 

BOOK  SELECTION 

There  is  not  at  present  (December,  1914)  any  perfectly  satis- 
factory general  list  of  books  suitable  for  high-school  libraries.  Lists 
prepared  by  educational  authorities  are  likely  to  dwell  too  much  on 
textbooks  and  books  beyond  the  student's  capacity,  and  to  ignore 
the  simpler  and  more  popular  works. 
National  Council  of  Teachers  of  English.  Report  of  the  committee 

upon  home  reading.    Chicago,  1913.     10  cents. 

Half  of  the  list  is  devoted  to  fiction,  the  rest  to  travel  and  adven- 

ture,  poetry,   essays,   etc.    Merely   informational   books    are 

excluded.    The  fiction  titles  are  the  most  satisfactory  part  of 

the  list  and  should  be  suggestive. 
Newark  (N.J.)  Public  Library.    Reading  for  pleasure  and  profit. 

Graded  list  of  books  and  readings  prepared  in  co-operation  with 

the  teachers  of  the  Barringer  High  School,  Newark,  N.J. 
Oregon  Library  Commission.    Books  for  high  school  libraries.    Rev. 

ed.    Salem,  Ore.,  1910.     25  cents. 

Annotated,  priced  list  prepared  especially  for  small  high  schools. 
United  States  Bureau  of  Education.    List  of  books  suited  to  a  high- 

school  library,  compiled  by  the  University  High  School,  Chicago, 


Classified,  annotated  list  with  publishers'  names  and  prices, 
prepared  from  the  teacher's  standpoint.  The  most  satisfactory 
sections  are  those  on  history  and  English.  Least  satisfactory 
in  shop  subjects  and  agriculture.  Contains  some  useful  sugges- 
tions on  book  selection. 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  27 

University  of  the  State  of  New  York.    Division  of  school  libraries. 
Annotated  book  list  for  secondary  school  libraries:  commercial 
subjects  section.    Albany,  1914. 
Same:  English  section,  Albany,  1914. 

The  first  two  of  a  series  of  bulletins  planned  to  cover  the  whole 
range  of  secondary-school  work.  Well  selected  on  the  whole, 
and  intelligently  edited  and  annotated.  This  series  promises 
to  be  the  high-school  librarian's  most  important  single  printed 
aid  in  book  selection. 

Wilson,  Martha,  comp.    Books  for  high  schools.    American  Library 
Association  Publishing  Board.    Chicago,  1914.     50  cents. 
Classified,  priced,  and  partially  annotated  list.    Omits  the  more 
expensive  reference  works. 

Wisconsin,  Department  of  Education.    List  of  books  for  high  school 
libraries  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin.    Madison,  1911.    Supple- 
ment, 1911-12.     15  cents. 
Classified,  annotated,  and  priced  list. 

LIBRARY  INSTRUCTION 

Austen,    W.    H.    Educational   value   of    bibliographical    training. 

Library  Journal,  1909,  34:427-30. 
Hopkins,  F.  M.    Place  of  the  library  in  high  school  education. 

Library  Journal,  1910,  35:55-60. 
Mendenhall,  I.  M.    Training  of  high  school  students  in  the  use  of 

the  library.    New  York  Libraries,  1912,  3:138-40. 
Walter,  F.  K.    Teaching  library  use  in  normal  and  high  schools. 

American  Library  Association  Proceedings,  1912,  pp.  255-60. 
Wooley,    E.    C.    Student's    use    of    the    dictionary.     Educational 

Review,  1912,  492-501. 

Accounts  of  instruction  as  actually  given  are  found  in  the  follow- 
ing articles:  Library  Journal,  1898,  23 :c.  86-91;  1904,  29:481. 
National  Education  Association  Proceedings,  1905,  pp.  858-64; 
I9I3>  PP-  756-6o.  Public  Libraries,  1899,4:315-17;  1905, 10:170-71. 
Wisconsin  Library  Bulletin,  1911,  7:134-42  (Conference  number). 

AIDS  IN  LIBRARY  INSTRUCTION 

Gilson,  M.  L.  Course  of  study  for  normal  school  students  on  the 
use  of  a  library.  H.  W.  Wilson  Co.,  White  Plains,  N.Y.,  1909. 
75  cents. 


28  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

(Part  V,  sec.  2,  of  Modern  American  library  economy  as  illus- 
trated by  the  Newark  [N.J.]  Free  Public  Library.) 
"The  first  four  lessons  are  well  adapted  to  high-school  pupils." — 
M.  E.  Hall. 

Hopkins,  F.  M.  Allusions,  words  and  phrases  that  should  be  known 
and  where  to  find  them.  Author.  Central  High  School, 
Detroit,  Mich,  1915.  35  cents.  Alphabetical,  graded  list  of 
over  i,ooo  allusions,  phrases,  and  abbreviations,  with  blank 
spaces  for  entering  the  names  of  books  in  which  answers  are 
found,  and  alternate  blank  pages  for  added  allusions.  Should 
be  useful  to  English  teachers  and  librarians  in  devising  tests  for 
students  on  dictionaries  and  encyclopedias. 

.    Outlines  and  reference  problems  for  eight  lessons  for  high 

school  pupils.    Author.    Central  High  School,  Detroit,  Mich. 
4  cents. 

"Excellent  for  training  in  use  of  indexes  and  general  reference 
books."— M.  E.  Hall. 

Ward,  G.  O.    Practical  use  of  books  and  libraries.     2d  ed.    Boston 
Book  Co.,  1914.    $1.00. 
Elementary  textbook  for  high  schools. 

CO-OPERATION  BETWEEN  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  AND 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

Co-operation  between  high  school  libraries  and  public  libraries  in 
Brooklyn,  N.Y.  Library  Journal,  1909,  34:146. 

Co-operation  between  the  school  library  and  the  public  library. 
Minnesota  Public  Library  Commission.  Library  Notes  and 
News,  1906,  i  :no.  7 : 2-4. 

Watkins,  M.  E.    Relation  of  high  school  to  public  library.    Wis- 
consin Library  Bulletin,  1912,  8:30-32. 
Methods  tried  in  Madison,  Wis. 

Wisconsin  idea  on  library  co-operation.    New  York  Libraries,  1912, 

3:130- 

Suggests    a    full-time    librarian    dividing   her   hours   between 

public  library   and   high-school   library,   in   communities  too 

small  or   too   poor   to   afford   a   full-tune  librarian  for  both 

libraries. 


THE  HIGH-SCHOOL  LIBRARY  29 

HIGH-SCHOOL  BRANCHES  OF  PUBLIC  LIBRARIES 

Askew,  S.  B.    Public  libraries  and  school  libraries.    Library  Journal, 

1912,37:363-66. 

The  New  Jersey  plan. 
Jones,  T.  L.    What  the  public  library  can  do  for  the  high  school. 

Wisconsin    Library   Bulletin,    1912,    8:28-29.     Same.    Public 

Libraries,  1912,  17:274-76. 

Describes  the  plan  adopted  hi  Madison,  Wis.,  from  the  principal's 

viewpoint. 
McClelland,  Maude.    Administration  of  a  high  school  branch  of  a 

public  library.    New  Jersey  Library  Bulletin,  1912,  1:6-8. 

Details  of  organization  and  management  in  the  Passaic  (N.J.) 

High  School. 
Wright,  P.  B.    High  school  branches  in  Kansas  City.    Library 

Journal,  1914,  39:673-76. 

Describes  a  high-school  branch  planned  for  public  use. 

See  also  the  annual  reports  of  the  Cleveland  Public  Library, 

1908  ff.;    the   Portland    (Ore.)    Library   Association,    19101!.; 

Madison  (Wis.)  Free  Library,  1912  ff. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE 
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A.L.A.  Catalog,  1904-11.     Edited  by  Elva  L.  Bascom.    Cloth,  $1.50, 

postpaid. 
Guide  to  reference  books.    Edited  by  Alice  B.  Kroeger.    Revised 

and  enlarged  edition.    Cloth,  $1.50  (postage,  11  cents). 
Cataloging  for  small  libraries.    By  Theresa  Hitchler.    New  and  greatly 

enlarged  edition.    Cloth,  $1.25. 

Hints  to  small  libraries.    By  Mary  W.  Plummer.    Cloth,  75  cents. 
Selected  list  of  music  and  books  about  music  for  public  libraries. 

By  Louisa  M.  Hooper.    Paper,  25  cents. 
Aids  in  library  work  with  foreigners.    Compiled  by  Marguerite  Reid 

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LIBRARY  HANDBOOKS 

Intended  to  help  the  librarians  of  small  libraries  in  the  various 
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i.  Essentials  in  library  administration.    By  Miss  L.  E.  Stearns.    Paper, 

25  cents. 
3.  Management  of  traveling  libraries.    By  Edna  D.  Bullock.    Paper, 

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5.  Binding  for  small  libraries.    Paper,  15  cents.    Suggestions  prepared 

by  the  A.L.A.  committee  on  bookbinding. 

6.  Mending  and  repair  of  books.    By  Margaret  W.  Brown.    Paper, 

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7.  U.S.  Government  documents  in  small  libraries.    By  J.  I.  Wyer,  Jr. 

Paper,  15  cents. 

8.  How  to  choose  editions.    By  W.  E.  Foster.    Paper,  15  cents. 

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14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

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This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


<HN  17  1972 


LD21-35m-2,'71 
(P2001slO)476 — A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


Manufacturers 
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Stockton,  Calif. 


2024-72- 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


